Rotary Club donates 21 boreholes to secondary schools in Aba

Rotary Club of Eziukwu Aba (D9140), in partnership with Rotary Clubs of Evangston Lighthouse (D6440) and Chicago FarNorth (D6450) USA, has completed the construction of 21 boreholes and building of two modern toilet facilities in two secondary boarding schools in Aba North and South Local Government Area, Abia State.

The schools that got toilet facilities included Girls High School,Ogbor Hill, Aba and Community Girls Secondary School Umungasi, while Methodist High School, Ohanku, Umuaja Secondary School,Itungwa,Osusu Amasa, Ihe Orji off Ohanku,Eziama High School, Umuocham, Ohabiam, National Grammar High School, Girls Secondary School Abayi, GirlsTech School, Ogbor hill, Osokwa Sec School, among others benefited from the provision of water project.

Presenting a paper tagged: “School Hgyiene Education”, Dr J.C. Emele Nwaubani said that the best way to prevent diseases both present and in the future is to reduce poor sanitation /hygiene in schools which is a major problem with many Nigerian public schools.

Noting that through school hygiene education, disease among young people will be drastically reduced.

“The sanitary situation is in a deplorable condition because of absence of potable water supply, indiscriminate dumping of faeces and refuse and lack of knowledge about good hygiene practices, are among factors responsible for sustenance of poor sanitary condition in our schools.”

“Knowledge of hygiene practices is important for school hygiene education. However, the level of school hygiene depends not only on the knowledge but also on facilities available in schools.”

Dr Emele further cautioned against nose blowing, sneezing and coughing without covering one’s mouth with handkerchief and sharing of clipper,injection needles, underwears and other dresses, a common habit among youths. Emele advised students and teachers to always use dustbins for the disposal of wastes, avoid littering their environments with papers,empty cans and bottles among others sources of infection and breeding of vectors and pathogens.

In another paper, “School Sanitation Education”, Rtn Madu Awa revealed that the level of sanitation in public schools was poor, dirty, unsafe for students to use and a medium of transmitting infectious diseases.

“In some instances, they have no insufficient water supply, sanitation and hand washing facilities. Facilities weren’t adapted to the needs of students. Where they existed, they were broken, dirty or unsafe.

Under these conditions, schools become unsafe places where diseases are transmitted with mutually reinforcing negative impacts for the children, their families and overall development.”